Contents

Life

Early years

His Grace was born Antoun Yssa Khouri on January 17, 1931, in Damascus, Syria, the fourth of six children born to the late Wedad Elias Abraxia and Yssa Khouri. After completing his elementary education at the Orthodox School in Meedan, Syria, he entered the Minor Seminary at Balamand Monastery, near Tripoli, Lebanon, at the age of fourteen, where he met his lifelong friend, the future Metropolitan Philip (Saliba). At the Balamand he completing his junior and senior high school studies and then went on to receive his diploma in theology from the Balamand Theological Academy of Saint John of Damascus.

On October 28, 1951, he was ordained to the diaconate by His Beatitude, Alexander III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Damascus. While a deacon at the cathedral, he was instructor, then Dean of the Saint John of Damascus School. While in Damascus, he undertook undergraduate studies at the Assiyat Orthodox College from which he was graduated in 1957. In the same year he was assigned to the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he served at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul and as secretary to His Eminence, Metropolitan Ignatius (Forzley).

Graduate education and priesthood

In 1959, Deacon Antoun arrived in United States for graduate theological studies at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary near New York City, from which he was graduated in 1962, having been ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1960, by His Eminence, Metropolitan Antony (Bashir), the Archbishop of New York and all North America. On August 3, 1969, he was elevated to the dignity of Archimandrite by His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip (Saliba), the current Primate of Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. As a priest he served the following pastorates: St. George Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St. George Church in Toronto, Ontario; St. George Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania and St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. From 1969 to 1977, he worked from the Archdiocesan chancery in Englewood, New Jersey, as personal aide to Metropolitan Philip.

By a decision of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate dated October 9, 2003, His Grace became a diocesan bishop bearing the title of Bishop of Miami and the Southeast. Bishop Antoun maintains his office and residence at the Archdiocesan Chancery in Englewood, New Jersey.